Free Lunch

Gov. George Pataki’s Communications Director Dave Catalfamo ribbed Sen. Michael Balboni (literally) this afternoon for the senator’s rather flip quote about the governor’s bipartisan barbecue that appeared in this morning’s New York Times.Â

The Long Island Republican hadÂ noted the get-together at the governor’s mansion was scheduled from noon to 2 p.m., while the Senate was due in session at 1 p.m.

“The irony here is delicious,” Balboni told the Times. “‘I’ll have hot dogs and hamburgers, but you won’t be able to come.’ I hate to break this to you, but we work afternoons.”

In a twist on making the senator eat his words, Catalfamo sent his intern, Sean Leonard, up to the Senate chamber with a doggie bag bearing Balboni’s name. The accompanying note read:

Balboni dictated a response, which the assiduous Leonard (who turns out to be a cousin of former Pataki spokesman Kevin Quinn) wrote down: “Mea Culpa. Mea Culpa. Mea Maximus Culpa.”

“I was trying to be funny, and it failed miserably,” Balboni told me. “It’s not the first time.”

The doggie bag (actually, more of a to-go container, which Balboni quipped was a “dog-house bag”) included: two hot dogs, a rib and some potato salad. “I made sure to include lots of pork,” Catalfamo quipped.

Assemblyman Mark Weprin, D-Queens, went to the barbecue and said he was surprised by how well-attended it was. (Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, was there. Since his chamber wasn’t due in session until after 2 p.m., there was no conflict for him).

The governor came late to the luncheon, showing up a bit after 1 p.m., Weprin said. (He was held up at yet another press conference, where he called on the Assembly to do the all-crimes expansion of the DNA databank).

Weprin said his only real complaint was that there was no ice cream at the barbecue.

“I’ve said for a very long time that the governor is a very nice man,” Weprin said. “I just question some ofÂ what he’s done as governor.”

That comment drew a snort of derision from Weprin’s neighbor in the chamber and fellow Queens Democrat, Assemblyman Mike Gianaris.

“Traitor!” joked Gianaris, who did not attend the cook-out. “I look forward to visiting the governor’s mansion in January.”Â